A few years ago, I decided to quit my full-time military career of over 13 years and pretty much end life as I knew it. When I did this, I had no clue that my future would turn into the wonderful life that I am now living (it still has its challenges but it’s better than what I could’ve ever dreamed up for myself). The only thing I knew at that time was that I needed a BIG change. I wasn’t at rock bottom or anything of that nature. On the contrary, I had accomplished just about every goal I set out to achieve back then, and probably did so in record time. I was in my twenties, raising my beautiful little girl on my own, and we were living in a house that I had purchased in one of my favorite neighborhoods about a year prior. I didn’t drive the best car, but it got me where I needed to go, including to and from military training all the way in Texas one time! I had a boyfriend who I was falling in love with and supportive family who I visited with often. I was also extremely passionate about my career and had made it more than halfway to retirement… but I still had a crushing feeling that I needed a change no matter how much I tried to fight it! It was all very overwhelming, and it really couldn’t happen quickly enough.
Let me just say, I have been through so many changes throughout my entire life, that just about anyone who has ever met me would probably laugh in your face if you asked them if I was afraid of change. (We’ll get into this another time). This time was different than all of the other times.
It was scary.
So, what did I do? I began researching some areas of interest and I MADE A PLAN! Yes! A plan! (If you didn’t know me back then, I was way more type-A than I am now, but probably a little less ADD with all the responsibilities and structure I had in my life). It sounds so boring and simple, but it kind of sort of wasn’t. It was a lot of work and very stressful, like most of the things in life that are worth the time and effort. Here’s the thing though, without the plan, I never would have truly dissected what I wanted out of life, nor what I was even capable of doing. And most importantly, I wouldn’t be living my best life right now with my little one and husband! I would probably still be stressed to the max in my military career and moping around out of pure confusion.
Why am I telling you this? Because literally every bad and not so bad situation in life can be improved with a plan of action. This is a word of encouragement for you to take life by the horns, or maybe just your business or side hustle, and go live it out the way you intended to when you first dreamed of it.
Here are 5 Tips for Creating Your Life-Changing Plan:
- Don’t assume you will have your plan completed in an hour or even today. Plans take time to craft them well. It could take a week, two weeks, or longer to make it solid.
- Don’t feel the need to perfect your plan. Get some ideas down that you are interested in, but the details will come as you move forward. Remember it does take time to make a good one, so you will need all the momentum you can possibly sustain.
- Do your research! After you have your ideas down on paper, you can start looking into each option to continue developing the ones that seem best for you. Don’t assume things! It’s 2023 and you can find everything on the internet, including contact information for the people you need to connect with to make things happen. Take notes!
- Don’t take NO for an answer if it is something that you feel strongly about (we’re not talking about relationships here, set the man free if you’re not married and he doesn’t support what’s most important to you).
- Dive into some resources! My blog posts and services can definitely guide you on your journey to a better life… and so can many others. You don’t have to go back to school or get anymore credentials to create your plan. Many people put information out there and offer services to help you get to where you want to be. I love to help others live out their dreams!
Lastly, you will have to constantly remind yourself: Darling, You Are Magic. It is not easy, but it will be worth it and you can most definitely do it! Reach out if you want my help. Email julia@juliafredricksen.com when you’re ready.
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